Why Mel B Lost Out on the "DWTS" Hosting Gig

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"Dancing with the Stars" standout Mel B gave her best shot at co-hosting the show alongside Tom Bergeron, but might have lost out on the job due to excessive butt-pinching.

Mel B tells PopcornBiz that she was one of a "bunch of people who auditioned" for the co-host spot held for many seasons by Samantha Harris. But old habits wouldn't die for the former Spice Girl.

During her dancing days, Mel B used to sneak up on Bergeron and pinch his butt on live television before going to check out her judges' scores. It always got a laugh and a grimace from Bergeron who never lost a beat while speaking to the camera during the attacks.

This little habit continued during Mel B' try-out for the hosting spot.

"When I did the screen test for the new host, that's all I kept doing to him. I kept pitching his butt," she admits.

While great live television, it might have led to a few uncomfortable moments and no doubt severe pain to the backside for Bergeron after a couple of shows. The job went to former dancer Brooke Burke, who has yet to goose Bergeron while the cameras are rolling.

No hard feelings. Mel B has her own hosting gig for the show "Dance Your A** Off" on the Oxygen network. And she loves Burke's work. "I think she is amazing," Mel B says of Burke. "She's a doing a fantastic job."

So is her former partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy who is still in the running with Erin Andrews. "Max is my boy, I would love for him to win it," she says.

Published at 11:26 AM PDT on May 13, 2010 | Updated at 11:46 AM PDT on May 30, 2012